‘You did speak of the good old way, which the prophet spake of; but the prophets cried against the abominations which you hold up. Had you the power of God, ye would not persecute the good way. He that spake of the good way was set in the stocks: the people cried, ‘Away with him to the stocks,’ for speaking the truth. Ah! foolish people, which have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, without understanding! ‘Fear not me,’ saith the Lord, ‘and will ye not tremble at my presence?’ O your pride and abominations are odious in the eyes of God: you, (that are preachers,) have the chiefest place in the assemblies, and are called of men Master; and such were and are against my Saviour and Maker: and they shut up the kingdom of heaven from men, neither go in themselves, nor suffer others. Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation, who have their places, and walk in their steps. You may say, if you had been in the days of the prophets, or Christ, ye would not have persecuted them; wherefore be ye witnesses against yourselves, that ye are the children of them, seeing, ye now persecute the way of truth. O consider, there is a true judge, that will give every one of you a reward according to your works. O mind where you are, you that hold up the abominations which the true prophet cried against! O come down, and sit in the dust! The Lord is coming with power; and he will throw down every one that is exalted, that he alone may be exalted.’ Having thus written to them jointly, he after some time, wrote to each of them apart. That to justice Bennet was thus: ‘Friend, ‘Thou that dost profess God and Christ in words, see how thou dost follow him. To take off burdens, and to visit them that be in prison, and show mercy, and clothe thy own flesh, and deal thy bread to the hungry; these are God’s commandments: to relieve the fatherless, and to visit the widows in their afflictions, and to keep thyself unspotted of the world; this is pure religion before God. But if thou dost profess Christ, and followest covetousness and greediness, and earthly mindedness, thou deniest him in life, and deceivest thyself and others, and takest him for a cloak. Wo be to you greedy men, and rich men, weep and howl for your misery that shall come. Take heed of covetousness, and extortion; God doth forbid that. Wo be to the man that coveteth an evil covetousness, that he may set his nest on high, and cover himself with thick clay. O do not love that which God forbids: his servant thou art whom thou dost obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. Think upon Lazarus and Dives: the one fared sumptuously every day; the other was a beggar. See, if thou be not Dives. Be not deceived; God is not mocked with vain words: evil communication corrupteth good manners. Awake to righteousness and sin not.